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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25857718">Violet blues</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobadeluxe/pseuds/bobadeluxe'>bobadeluxe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dungeons and Daddies (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family Bonding, Family Feels, Gen, Gender Dysphoria, Growing Up, Hair Dyeing, Haircuts, Trans Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:47:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,194</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25857718</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobadeluxe/pseuds/bobadeluxe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick dyes his hair with the help of his father.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Violet blues</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is another trans nick fic! The main theme is about gender dysphoria regarding to passing, specifically with your hairstyle. If this topic makes you uncomfy, please take care! There's also implied/referenced transphobia, but its not shown/discussed expicitly and it does not come from glenn.</p>
<p>I consider this to be related to my other fic, 6:00 AM, but you dont need it to understand that one. i may add all of them into a series one day.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"Hey dad," Nick says as he peeks his head into his father's room. "You busy?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dad looks up from his acoustic guitar and grins when he sees him. He rests his guitar on one thigh, and pats the empty spot on the bed next to him. "Nah, I'm just taking it easy today. Why don't you join me?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick didn't plan on staying, but he'd take any opportunity to hang out with his dad. He approaches the bed and plops down besides him. Dad goes back to strumming the guitar. He is so cool. It looks so easy for him, like he never had to try even once in his life. It just comes to him naturally – everything. Nick wishes one day it'd be that easy for him too, to just be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What's up, man?" Dad asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was just wondering, you know." Nick shrugs, trying to make it not look like a big deal. "What do you call your hairstyle? Like what do I gotta tell the barber to get my hair done like yours?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dad squints at him. Nick tries not to flinch, and hopes dad didn't just see right through him. "You wanna cut your hair short?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Maybe. I'm just curious."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hm.. I don't know what it's called. I've had this hairstyle since highschool, man. Looks great on me, so I just tell the barber to cut it short."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course he does. Nick suppresses the urge to sigh. "Okay."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You never cut your hair," dad noted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dad cut his hair short since highschool, and Nick kept his hair long ever since he could remember. He gets it trimmed every now and then when it becomes too hard to manage, but that's it. Nick likes it that way – or </span>
  <em>
    <span>liked</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he supposed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah. I don't know. It's kinda lame now," Nick mumbles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What? No way man!" Dad laughs in disbelief. "Long hair is rock as hell! Think of how many rock stars keep their hair long."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick tucks his hair behind his ear. "All the boys on the football team keep their hair short."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That – "</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>You </span>
  </em>
  <span>keep your hair short."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, but that's just me and that's them. You know?" Seeing his frown, dad elaborates, "There are more than one way to be."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I guess," Nick says with a shrug. "I still feel bad though."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It feels lame to admit, but dad didn't look at him weird so maybe it's fine? to admit when it doesn't feel good? maybe. maybe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, I got an idea." Dad nudges his shoulder with his elbow. "I know what's gonna cheer you up."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They went to the store together. Dad let Nick pick up snacks, sodas, and the color of his hair dye. He picked purple. Now he's sitting in their bathroom, on the closed toilet seat, letting dad apply bleach to his hair with a tint brush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Feels weird," Nick muttered. There is a tingling sensation of sorts in his scalp, though it's not painful or unpleasant. "Smells weird too."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah," dad agrees. "You're gonna have to stay strong, man. Your hair is black, so it takes a lot to get that bright purple to stick."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick sits up a little straighter. "I can take it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dad chuckles. "That's my boy. We're gonna do a small stripe for now, alright? See how you like it. We can always dye more."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick nods. That sounds like a solid plan. For a second there, he wonders if hair dye is against dress code. Then he realizes he doesn't care if it is. It'd be a stupid rule, which Nick never cared for, and neither did his dad. He feels excited, it's nice that they were doing something wrong together like partners in crimes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It takes a while, but Nick only needs to sit there as Dad takes care of the entire process. Bleaching, dyeing, even rinsing and drying his hair afterward. He's too good for someone who just read the labels on the box. Nick wonders if he ever dyed his hair too, like in a rebellious phase against his dad, or maybe he dyed other people's hair before. Diamond Dave's. Mom's.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Get up, take a look," dad says. That's all the encouragement Nick needs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stands up and walks toward the mirror above the bathroom sink. He doesn't look any different, obviously, except for his hair. The bright purple highlight casts a stark contrast with his black hair, like a streak of lightning flashing down his face. Nick.. likes it. He likes it a lot. He keeps staring at it and touching it. He finally got a reason to keep his hair the way it is without feeling like he's shooting himself in the foot, sabotaging himself – 'cause it looks so damn cool. It doesn't make him feel bad anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dad pats his shoulder from the behind. "You look cool as hell, dude. Don't you think?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah." Nick smiles at his – and Dad's – reflection. "Yeah, I do."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dad helped dyeing his hair for a time, but then Christmas came and he went on tour again. He left Nick money for the hair dye, but following youtube tutorials take away what made this so special. It's fine though. It's the way things are, and Nick still likes his hair. He gets complimented on it a lot, even the disapproving glances from adults and teachers feel good. It shifts the focus, so to speak. They're too busy talking about his cool and/or dreadful hair to comment on anything else. In a way, his hair is his shield, which is better than when it felt like a weapon constantly being used against him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dad was right, anyway. A lot of rock stars wear their hair long. Some boys in his class do too and it's not their choice as much as it was their parent's laziness. And no one blames them when they are treated unkindly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When dad comes home, Nick catches him right when he is dragging his suitcase into the door. His hair is tied into a low ponytail. Nick supposes he should feel bitter, as it's the evidence of the passage of time in his absence. But then he turns back to look at Nick, and suddenly the only thing he could think of is </span>
  <em>
    <span>he looks just like me.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, kiddo! How was football practice?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The teachers told him </span>
  <em>
    <span>changes are coming soon</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and they made it sound like a confusing, challenging, but ultimately satisfying period in his life. Nick didn't buy any of it. He took it as a threat; he was resistant to the change. Dad understood him though, and helped. Years later he's growing up and he's realizing now, in that second, that there are now two things he hears everyday. One is about his hair, and two is about how much he resembles his father. He can see it now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It was okay." Nick quickly changes the subject. "Your hair is getting long."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh yeah. Couldn't find the time to get it cut between shows y'know? Though I'm thinking I'm going to keep it this way. Looks great on me, doesn't it?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nick smiles. "Yes, dad. It does."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>the dark hair struggle... and nick picked purple!!! (it was either red or purple, haha)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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